U.S. patent number 11,066,107 [Application Number 16/374,966] was granted by the patent office on 2021-07-20 for vehicle body structure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation. The grantee listed for this patent is Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation. Invention is credited to Hyunbin Kim, Young Ho Lee, Jaeha Shim, Kyung Hoon Son.
United States Patent |
11,066,107 |
Son , et al. |
July 20, 2021 |
Vehicle body structure
Abstract
A vehicle body structure may include a front pillar extending in
a height direction of a vehicle and positioned in front along a
longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A rear pillar extends in the
height direction and is positioned in rear along the longitudinal
direction of the vehicle. Roof side members extend in the
longitudinal direction of the vehicle and are disposed on the left
and right sides along a width direction of the vehicle. At least
one roof rail extends along the width direction of the vehicle and
connecting the roof side members of the left and right sides. The
front pillar includes a front pillar inner member and a front
pillar outer reinforcing member. A front end portion of the roof
side member along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is
inserted between the front pillar inner member the front pillar
outer reinforcing member.
Inventors: |
Son; Kyung Hoon (Suwon-si,
KR), Kim; Hyunbin (Hwaseong-si, KR), Shim;
Jaeha (Seoul, KR), Lee; Young Ho (Gunpo-si,
KR) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Hyundai Motor Company
Kia Motors Corporation |
Seoul
Seoul |
N/A
N/A |
KR
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
Hyundai Motor Company (Seoul,
KR)
Kia Motors Corporation (Seoul, KR)
|
Family
ID: |
70776477 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/374,966 |
Filed: |
April 4, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20200180703 A1 |
Jun 11, 2020 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 10, 2018 [KR] |
|
|
10-2018-0158266 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62D
25/06 (20130101); B62D 27/023 (20130101); B62D
25/04 (20130101); B60Y 2410/124 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B62D
25/04 (20060101); B62D 25/06 (20060101); B62D
27/02 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;296/203.03,210 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Pedder; Dennis H
Assistant Examiner: Hill; Joyce Eileen
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Slater Matsil, LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A vehicle body structure comprising: a front pillar extending in
a height direction of a vehicle and positioned in front along a
longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the front pillar
includes a front pillar inner member and a front pillar outer
reinforcing member, wherein the front pillar inner member is
coupled to a side outer member to define a closed cross-section; a
rear pillar extending in the height direction of the vehicle and
positioned in rear along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
a roof side member extending in the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle, wherein a front end portion of the roof side member along
the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is inserted and coupled
between the front pillar inner member and the front pillar outer
reinforcing member, wherein the roof side member is inserted into
the closed cross-section to be coupled to the front pillar inner
member; a front roof rail disposed in the front along the
longitudinal direction of the vehicle; a center roof rail disposed
behind the front roof rail along the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle; and a further roof side member extending in the
longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the roof side member and the
further roof side member disposed on left and right sides along a
width direction of the vehicle; and wherein the front pillar inner
member and a roof side inner member are coupled to the inside of
the roof side member along a width direction of the vehicle,
respectively; wherein a lower gusset is integrally formed to be
protruded to the inside along the width direction of the vehicle at
the front pillar inner member and the roof side inner member,
respectively; wherein an upper gusset is overlapped on the lower
gusset of the front pillar inner member and the lower gusset of the
roof side inner member, respectively; and wherein an end portion of
the front roof rail and an end portion of the center roof rail are
fastened to the upper gusset, respectively.
2. The vehicle body structure of claim 1, further comprising a
rigid foam comprising a composite material disposed inside the roof
side member.
3. The vehicle body structure of claim 2, further comprising a
center pillar extending in the height direction of the vehicle and
being disposed between the front pillar and the rear pillar.
4. A vehicle body structure comprising: a front pillar extending in
a height direction of a vehicle and positioned in front along a
longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the front pillar
includes a front pillar inner member and a front pillar outer
reinforcing member, wherein the front pillar inner member is
coupled to a side outer member to define a closed cross-section; a
rear pillar extending in the height direction of the vehicle and
positioned in rear along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
a roof side member extending in the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle, wherein a front end portion of the roof side member along
the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is inserted and coupled
between the front pillar inner member and the front pillar outer
reinforcing member, wherein the roof side member is inserted into
the closed cross-section to be coupled to the front pillar inner
member; a front roof rail disposed in the front along the
longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and a center roof rail
disposed behind the front roof rail along the longitudinal
direction of the vehicle; wherein the front pillar inner member and
a roof side inner member are coupled to the inside of the roof side
member along a width direction of the vehicle, respectively;
wherein a lower gusset is integrally formed to be protruded to the
inside along the width direction of the vehicle at the front pillar
inner member and the roof side inner member, respectively; wherein
an upper gusset is overlapped on the lower gusset of the front
pillar inner member and the lower gusset of the roof side inner
member, respectively; and wherein an end portion of the front roof
rail and an end portion of the center roof rail are fastened to the
upper gusset, respectively.
5. The vehicle body structure of claim 4, wherein a stepped portion
corresponding to the profile of the side outer member is formed at
an outer side surface of the roof side member along the width
direction of the vehicle.
6. The vehicle body structure of claim 5, wherein the stepped
portion is not exposed to the outside of the vehicle.
7. The vehicle body structure of claim 5, wherein the stepped
portion is isolated from the outside of the vehicle by the side
outer member and the front pillar inner member.
8. The vehicle body structure of claim 4, further comprising a
center pillar extending in the height direction of the vehicle
between the front pillar and the rear pillar.
9. The vehicle body structure of claim 4, wherein a stepped portion
cutout in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the
vehicle is formed at the front pillar outer reinforcing member.
10. The vehicle body structure of claim 4, wherein an oblique
cutting portion obliquely cut out with respect to the longitudinal
direction and the width direction of the vehicle is formed at the
front pillar outer reinforcing member.
11. The vehicle body structure of claim 4, wherein a first end
portion of the roof side member is coupled to the front pillar and
a second end portion of the roof side member is coupled to a center
pillar extending in the height direction of the vehicle between the
front pillar and the rear pillar.
12. The vehicle body structure of claim 4, wherein the roof side
member has a tube shape.
13. The vehicle body structure of claim 12, wherein the roof rail
are formed using a cooling press method.
14. The vehicle body structure of claim 12, wherein the roof side
member is formed using a hot stamping method.
15. The vehicle body structure of claim 4, wherein: the upper
gusset fastened to the center roof rail is attached on a first side
surface of the roof side member; and the roof side inner member is
attached on a second side surface of the roof side member.
16. The vehicle body structure of claim 15, wherein: the upper
gusset fastened to the center roof rail is disposed above the roof
side inner member in the height direction of the vehicle; and an
end portion of the roof side inner member is disposed gradually
away from the upper gusset toward the outside in the width
direction of the vehicle, so that a second closed cross-section is
formed between the upper gusset, the roof side inner member and the
roof side member.
17. The vehicle body structure of claim 4, wherein the roof side
member is coupled to the front pillar inner member by a welding
process.
18. A vehicle body structure comprising: a front pillar extending
in a height direction of a vehicle and positioned in front along a
longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the front pillar
includes a front pillar inner member and a front pillar outer
reinforcing member, wherein the front pillar inner member is
coupled to a side outer member to define a closed cross-section; a
rear pillar extending in the height direction of the vehicle and
positioned in rear along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle;
a roof side member extending in the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle, wherein a front end portion of the roof side member along
the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is inserted and coupled
between the front pillar inner member and the front pillar outer
reinforcing member, wherein the roof side member is inserted into
the closed cross-section to be coupled to the front pillar inner
member; a rigid foam comprising a composite material disposed
inside the roof side member; a front roof rail disposed in the
front along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and a center
roof rail disposed behind the front roof rail along the
longitudinal direction of the vehicle; wherein the front pillar
inner member and a roof side inner member are coupled to the inside
of the roof side member along a width direction of the vehicle,
respectively; wherein a lower gusset is integrally formed to be
protruded to the inside along the width direction of the vehicle at
the front pillar inner member and the roof side inner member,
respectively; wherein an upper gusset is overlapped on the lower
gusset of the front pillar inner member and the lower gusset of the
roof side inner member, respectively; and wherein an end portion of
the front roof rail and an end portion of the center roof rail are
fastened to the upper gusset, respectively.
19. The vehicle body structure of claim 18, wherein a stepped
portion corresponding to the profile of the side outer member is
formed at an outer side surface of the roof side member along the
width direction of the vehicle.
20. The vehicle body structure of claim 18, further comprising a
center pillar extending in the height direction of the vehicle
between the front pillar and the rear pillar.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No.
10-2018-0158266, filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office
on Dec. 10, 2018, which application is hereby incorporated herein
by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure.
BACKGROUND
Generally, an upper part of a vehicle body includes a roof of the
vehicle and at least one pillar supporting the roof and being
disposed back and forth along the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle.
At least one pillar includes, generally, a front pillar disposed
forwardly along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a rear
pillar disposed rearward, and a center pillar disposed between the
front pillar and the rear pillar.
An opening and closing door is mounted at the front pillar and the
center pillar so as to be rotatable.
Recently, in order to expand the passenger compartment and increase
the convenience of getting in and out of the vehicle, a vehicle
body structure with an upper vehicle body formed by only the front
pillar and the rear pillar without the center pillar has been
developed and applied.
However, in such a vehicle body structure, the structural stiffness
of the upper vehicle body is inevitably weakened because the center
pillar is not used, so that various reinforcing structures have
been proposed to compensate for the stiffness weakness of the
vehicle body structure and it was necessary to reinforce the
rigidity of the upper vehicle body more effectively with fewer
parts without increasing the weight and cost.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only
for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention
and therefore it may contain information that does not form the
prior art that is already known in this country to a person of
ordinary skill in the art.
SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure.
Particular embodiments of the present invention relate to a vehicle
body structure capable of constructing a robust upper vehicle body
with fewer parts.
Embodiments of the present invention have been made in an effort to
provide a vehicle body structure capable of forming a more robust
upper vehicle body through the stiffness increase of the members
constituting the roof of the vehicle and proper load distribution
of the members, and reducing the number of parts, weight and
cost.
A vehicle body structure according to an exemplary embodiment of
the present invention may include a front pillar extending in a
height direction of a vehicle and positioned in front along a
longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A rear pillar extends in the
height direction of the vehicle and is positioned in rear along the
longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Roof side members extend in
the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and are disposed on the
left and right sides along a width direction of the vehicle. At
least one roof rail extends along the width direction of the
vehicle and connecting the roof side members of the left and right
sides. The front pillar includes a front pillar inner member and a
front pillar outer reinforcing member. A front end portion of the
roof side member along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is
inserted and coupled between the front pillar inner member the
front pillar outer reinforcing member.
The at least one roof rail may include a front roof rail disposed
in front along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and a
center roof rail disposed in the rear of the front roof rail along
the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
The roof side member may be made in a tube shape through hot
stamping method.
The center roof rail may be made through cooling press method.
The front pillar inner member may be coupled to a side outer member
to form a closed cross-section; and a roof side member may be
inserted into the closed cross-section to be coupled to the front
pillar inner member.
A stepped portion corresponding to the profile of the side outer
member may be formed at an outer side surface of the roof side
member along the width direction of the vehicle.
A center pillar extending in the height direction of the vehicle
between the front pillar and the rear pillar may be further
included.
A stepped portion cutout in the longitudinal direction and the
width direction of the vehicle or an oblique cutting portion
obliquely cutout with respect to the longitudinal direction and the
width direction of the vehicle may be formed at the front pillar
outer reinforcing member.
The front pillar inner member and a roof side inner member may be
coupled to the inside of the roof side member along the width
direction of the vehicle, respectively; a lower gusset may be
integrally formed to be protruded to the inside along the width
direction of the vehicle at the front pillar inner member and the
roof side inner member, respectively; an upper gusset may be
overlapped on the lower gusset of the front pillar inner member and
the lower gusset of the roof side inner member, respectively; and
an end portion of the front roof rail and an end portion of the
center roof rail may be fastened to the upper gusset,
respectively.
The upper gusset fastened to the center roof rail may be attached
on one side surface of the roof side member; and the roof side
inner member may be attached on the other side surface of the roof
side member.
The upper gusset fastened to the center roof rail may be disposed
above the roof side inner member in the height direction of the
vehicle; and an end portion of the roof side inner member may be
disposed gradually away from the upper gusset toward the outside of
the width direction of the vehicle, so that a closed cross-section
is formed between the upper gusset, the roof side inner member and
the roof side member.
A rigid foam made of composite material may be inserted into the
inside of the roof side member.
A center pillar extending in the height direction of the vehicle
and being disposed between the front pillar and the rear pillar may
be further included; and one end portion of the roof side member
may be coupled to the front pillar and the other end portion
thereof is coupled to the center pillar.
In accordance with the vehicle body structure according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the center roof rail
is formed of a panel shape by cold pressing method and the roof
side member is formed of a tube shape by hot pressing method to
couple with each other, so that the weight and the number of parts
of the upper vehicle body can be reduced and the rigidity can be
increased.
The coupling portion of the roof side member and the front roof
rail and the center roof rail is formed with a closed
cross-section, so that the rigidity of the roof and load supporting
performance can be improved.
A diagonal cutting portion is applied to the front pillar outer
reinforcing panel to which the roof side member is coupled, it is
possible to reduce the possibility of breakage due to external
impact loads at the coupling portion between the roof side member
and the front pillar outer reinforcing panel by preventing sudden
stiffness change.
The profile of the roof side member is made of a shape similar to
the profile of the side outer panel coupled to an outside thereof,
thereby increasing the rigidity of the roof.
A foamed rigid foam is inserted into a closed cross-section of the
roof side member, so that the entire or partial rigidity of the
roof side member is increased and it is possible to prevent the
buckling of the roof side member in the event of a frontal
collision or an offset collision of the vehicle, thereby increasing
the rigidity against collision.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle body structure according
to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle body
structure according to the exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG.
1;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the case where the vehicle body structure
of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied to
the vehicle body to which a center pillar is applied;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a coupling portion between a front
pillar and a roof side member in the vehicle body structure
according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a coupling portion between a front
pillar and a roof side member in the vehicle body structure
according to another exemplary embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 7 is perspective view of a coupling portion between a center
roof rail and the roof side member in the vehicle body structure
according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG.
7; and
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a roof side member according to
another exemplary embodiment in the vehicle body structure
according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
The following reference symbols can be used in conjunction with the
drawings. 1: front pillar 2: rear pillar 3: center pillar 11: front
pillar inner member 12: front pillar outer reinforcing member 31:
roof side member 32: front roof rail 33: center roof rail 34: side
outer member 35: roof side inner member: 40: upper gusset 50:
closed cross-section 60: a rigid foam
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will
be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawing.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle body structure according to
an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a
front pillar 1 extending in the height direction of a vehicle and
positioned in front along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle
and a rear pillar 2 positioned in the rear.
Further, a roof of the vehicle may include roof side members 31
extended in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to be coupled
with the front pillar 1 and the rear pillar 2 and disposed on the
left and right sides along the width direction of the vehicle, a
front roof rail 32 disposed in the front and a center roof rail 33
disposed in the rear along the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle, which are extended along the width direction of the
vehicle to connect the roof side member 31 of left and right sides,
respectively. The center roof rail 33 may be made by cooling press
method.
A front end portion of the roof side member 31 along the
longitudinal direction of the vehicle may be inserted and coupled
between a front pillar inner member 11 and a front pillar outer
reinforcing member 12 to be connected with the front pillar 1 and a
rear end portion thereof may be connected with the rear pillar
2.
Referring to FIG. 3, a side outer member 34 may be coupled to the
front pillar inner member 11 to form a closed cross-section, and
the roof side member 31 may be inserted into the closed
cross-section to be coupled with the front pillar inner member 11
by welding, and so on.
The roof side member 31 may be preferably made in a tube shape
through hot stamping method.
A stepped portion 312 may be formed at an outer side surface 311 of
the roof side member 31 along the width direction of the vehicle
and the outer side surface 311 of the roof side member 31 may be
formed to be substantially similar to the outer side profile of the
side outer member 34.
Thus, when the profile of the outer side surface 311 of the roof
side member 31 is formed to be approximately the same as or similar
to the outer profile of the side outer member 34, the spacing
between the outer side surface 311 of the roof side member 31 and
the side outer member 34 is substantially the same, thereby
increasing the rigidity of the roof side of the vehicle.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, in a case that a center
pillar 3 is applied to the vehicle, the roof side member 31 made by
hot stamping method can be applied to only the section between the
front pillar 1 and the center pillar 3.
Referring to FIG. 5, when the front end portion of the roof side
member 31 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is
inserted and coupled between the front pillar inner member 11 and
the front pillar outer reinforcing member 12 to be connected with
the front pillar 1, a stepped portion 121 cut out along the
longitudinal direction and the width direction of the vehicle may
be formed at the front pillar outer reinforcing member 12 or, as
shown in FIG. 6, an oblique cutout portion 122 cut out in the
oblique direction with respect to the longitudinal direction and
the width direction of the vehicle may be provided.
When the stepped portion 121 or the oblique cutout portion 122 is
formed at front pillar outer reinforcing member 12 as like this,
the stiffness of the coupling portion between the front pillar
outer reinforcing member 12 and the roof side member 31 is smoothly
changed so that when the collision impact is transmitted to the
coupling portion in the event of vehicle collision, it is possible
to reduce the possibility of collision breakage effectively through
smooth stiffness change.
Referring to FIG. 2 again, the front pillar inner member 11 and a
roof side inner member 35 may be coupled to the inside of the roof
side member 31 along the width direction of the vehicle,
respectively, and lower gussets 111 and 351 may be integrally
formed at the front pillar inner member 11 and the roof side inner
member 35 to be protruded toward the width direction of the
vehicle, respectively.
Further, an upper gusset 40 overlapped over the lower gussets 111
and 351 may be made as separate product.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, FIG. 7 shows the structure that the
center roof rail 33 is coupled to the roof side member 31. Since
the structure that the front roof rail 32 is coupled with the roof
side member 31 is the same, a description thereof will be
omitted.
First, an end portion of the center roof rail 33 may be fastened to
one end portion of the upper gusset 40 via bolts, the other end of
the upper gusset 40 is closely attached on one side surface the
roof side member 31 be welding, and so on, one end portion of the
lower gusset 351 is coupled to a lower surface of the one end
portion of the upper gusset 40 by welding, and so on, and the other
end portion of the lower gusset 351 and an end portion of the roof
side inner member 35 are closely attached on the other end surface
of the roof side member 31 by welding and so on.
Herein, the upper gusset 40 may be disposed above the roof side
inner member 35 along the height direction of the vehicle, and an
end portion of the roof side inner member 35 may be gradually
spaced from the upper gusset 40 toward the outside in the width
direction of the vehicle, so that a closed cross-section of a
generally triangle shape is formed between the upper gusset 40, the
roof side inner member 35 and the roof side member 31. The closed
cross-section increases the stiffness of coupling portion between
the center roof rail 33, the roof side member 31 and the roof side
inner member 35 so that the stiffness of the roof of the vehicle is
increased, thereby improving the collision response of the
vehicle.
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, a rigid foam 60 made of a
composite material may be inserted into the roof side member 31 so
that the stiffness of the roof side member 31 can be increased. The
rigid foam 60 can be inserted into and coupled to the entire roof
side member 31, but partially inserted into only the relative rigid
weak portion of the roof side member 31, e.g., the portion where
the roof side member 31 is curved to form the front window so that
the relative rigidity weaken portion of the roof side member 31 can
be reinforced.
While this invention has been described in connection with what is
presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is
to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed
embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various
modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the
spirit and scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *